Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were pictured rehearsing for their ‘last ever episode’ of Saturday Night Takeaway on Friday.
The Geordie duo, both 48, are set to bid goodbye to the iconic show after 22 years on air as the presenters take a ‘breather’ but have made a cryptic hint about the show’s future.
And they aren’t leaving anything to chance as they were seen preparing for one last action-packed episode at TV Centre in London.
With less than 24 hours to go until their ‘biggest ever show’ Ant and Dec were joined by Andi Peters, who at one point, was covered in feathers.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s instalment, which will feature celebrity guests such as Simon Cowell, Davina McCall and Craig David, the pair teased that it could return.
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were pictured rehearsing for their ‘last ever episode’ of Saturday Night Takeaway on Friday
The Geordie duo are set to bid goodbye to the iconic show after 22 years on air as the presenters take a ‘breather’ but have made a cryptic hint about the show’s future
Ant explained: ‘I don’t want to give away too much but it will be a big goodbye…
‘For now!’ Dec chimed in.
Ant continued: ‘It’s genuinely the biggest Saturday Night Takeaway we’ve ever done! We’re taking over the whole of TV Centre, it’s going to be chaotic, unpredictable and hopefully very entertaining….anything could happen!’
Dec added: ‘Everything is supersized for this very special live farewell show – we’ve got 3 stages, our main studio stage and two brand new purpose built stages outside TV Centre.
‘It’s been mixed emotions all week as we’ve been planning and rehearsing this final show. Saturday Night Takeaway is very special to us. We’ve made this two hour finale show a real celebration of all things SNT from over the years.’
‘I can’t quite believe it will be the last show, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed making this final series. I know it’ll be an emotional night but we intend to give Takeaway viewers a party to end all parties!,’ Ant said.
Ant and Dec are all set to stun Saturday Night Takeaway fans with one last action-packed episode.
Yet, the hosting duo admitted leaving the iconic show was far from an easy decision, as they discussed their emotional farewell during an appearance on Friday’s This Morning.
And they aren’t leaving anything to chance as they were seen preparing for one last action-packed episode at TV Centre in London
With less than 24 hours to go until their ‘biggest ever show’ Ant and Dec were joined by Andi Peters , who at one point, was covered in feathers
Ant explained: ‘I don’t want to give away too much but it will be a big goodbye… ‘For now!’ Dec chimed in
Chatting to hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary on the final extravaganza, the pair explained it felt like ‘the right time’ to leave the iconic show ‘on a high’.
Praising its 22 years of broadcasting, Dec said: ‘When we first came to the decision to rest it – and we did it because 20 series feels like a good time to do it – we told our management first.
‘We said, “We want to rest it but we reserve the right between now and then to change our minds several time,” and we have. But I think we know in our heart of hearts it’s the right thing to do.’
Ant agreed echoing: ‘For the show and for us personally, it’s the right thing at the right time.’
While teasing a slew of hotly-anticipated surprises for the grand finale, the Geordie duo admitted they remain unsure if the show will ever be back on screen.
But there’s no reason to despair, as Ant and Dec ensured make an unforgettable legendary exit for the upcoming two-hour episode.
It will feature celebrity guests like Simon Cowell, Davina McCall, Rylan Clark, Oti Mabuse, Amanda Holden, Dermot O’Leary, Craig David, and Alison Hammond on its billing.
But there’s more to it, as also pop group Girls Aloud will appear as guest announcers, as well as super sized Singalong with S-Club, Tony Hadley and Kaiser Chiefs and show favourite Ring my Bell.
Cherishing their memories on the show, Ant said: ‘You want to make sure that you get enough new stuff in and fun stuff in so it’s not just all a look back.
‘We don’t know when the show will be back and we don’t know if we will ever do Ant versus Dec again, so whoever wins is the ultimate!’, Dec added.
The presenting pair also admitted there will be ‘tears’ once the show has wrapped, and that it has been ‘quite hard’ in the final days before broadcasting.
The hosting duo admitted leaving the iconic show was far from an easy decision, as they discussed their emotional farewell during an appearance on Friday’s This Morning
Dec said: ‘We said ‘We want to rest it but we reserve the right between now and then to change our minds several times. And we have. But I think we know in our heart of hearts it’s the right thing to do’
It will feature celebrity guests like Simon Cowell, Davina McCall, Rylan Clark, Oti Mabuse, Amanda Holden, Dermot O’Leary, Craig David, and Alison Hammond on its billing (hosts Alison and Dermot pictured)
Ant said: ‘I’m sure there will be tears. It’s been quite hard this week knowing it’s the final week in rehearsals and script meetings and everything.
‘We’ve kind of kept a lid on it until now. Until we got here and saw the stage, we thought, oh, it seems quite final.’
Andi Peters will present his final SNT competition while Jordan North, Josie Gibson and Scarlett Moffatt will be bringing joy to unsuspecting members of the public.
Last year Ant and Dec announced they’d quit Saturday Night Takeaway ahead of the 20th series, shocking their fans across the nation.
The pair will continue their exclusive working relationship with ITV, hosting hit shows including I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win, all of which air across ITV1 and ITVX.
Ant said at the time: ‘We love making Saturday Night Takeaway, but reaching the milestone of 20 series seemed like the perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath.’
Dec added: ‘We still have a momentous 20th series to look forward to first so we will do our best to go out (for now) with a bang in 2024!’
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, produced by Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios) and Mitre Studios, will return next year for its 20th series.
The series has spawned numerous iconic segments, including Win the Ads, Undercover, Get Out Of Me Ear, The End of Show Show and the Happiest Minute of the Week.
The most recent series launched in February with ITV1’s biggest overnight audience of the year, attracting 6.4 million viewers, and the biggest entertainment audience across any channel.
The show’s combination of live, high energy, feel good fun has seen the format achieve multiple BAFTA and National Television Awards since launching in 2002.
Girls Aloud will serve as the star guest announcers during the episode ahead of their upcoming tour
The show’s combination of live, high energy, feel good fun has seen the format achieve multiple BAFTA and National Television Awards since launching in 2002
Kevin Lygo, ITV Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, said: ‘When you think of Saturday night television you think of Saturday Night Takeaway.
‘Over 20 series the show has become a cultural phenomenon, and while we eagerly anticipate what Ant & Dec have up their sleeves for the 2024 series, we completely understand their desire to take a pause, take stock, and think about what the next incarnation of the show might look like.’
Ant and Dec – who initially found fame on Byker Grove in the late 1980s – first fronted the show from 2002 until 2009 and then again from 2013 when it returned.
Ant & Dec‘s Saturday Night Takeaway airs Saturday at 7pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX.
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